Former President Barack Obama will have a new project on his plate during the final stretch of the midterm elections: talking about books.
The 65-year-old announced this week that he’s launching a six-episode Audible podcast on September 24, less than six weeks before voters head to the polls in November. The announcement comes as Democrats battle for control of Congress, and Obama remains an influential campaign surrogate and fundraiser for the party.
“At a time when fewer people are able to sit down with a book, it’s important to remember the joy and power that can come from reading. And some books don’t just tell a story — they change the way we see the world,” Obama said. “A while back, I revisited a few of the books that made an impact on me as a young man, influencing how I think about family, faith, race, politics and America.”
Titled “A Great Book With Barack Obama,” the podcast will explore six books that helped shape the former president’s leftist worldview: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré.
Each episode will feature Obama discussing one of the books with a guest to “explore why they resonate, how they can shape our understanding of ourselves and each other, and why literature matters now more than ever.”
“I hope listeners will be inspired to discover or rediscover books that change the way they see themselves and the world,” Obama said in an Instagram post.
The timing puts the podcast’s launch squarely in the home stretch of the midterm campaign, as Obama continues to play a pivotal role in Democratic politics, picking up the phone to help heal wounds left by divisive primaries and hosting fundraisers ahead of November.
The Daily Wire previously reported that Obama personally called Michigan Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed following his narrow victory over establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). Obama did not endorse either candidate in the race.
Obama is also expected to headline a Democratic fundraiser later this month on Martha’s Vineyard to benefit the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), as Democrats continue to grapple with financial challenges at the national level.
The event, hosted by former Attorney General Eric Holder, will feature “dinner and a discussion” with the former president, according to an invitation first obtained by Punchbowl News.
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